MBs answer to the BMW M3 CSL & F360 CS? The 400hp SLK 55

[Shinigami]

http://www.mbworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=125312

A new 400hp performance package version of the MB SLK 55 AMG is coming out (currently only for the European market). Lots of carbon fiber, revised door interior (simpler, just like in the CS), new sporty seats, faster shifting, possibly a 0-60 time of 3.9 seconds!

No definitive news on what MB will call this performance version of the SLK (maybe similar to the CLK DTM), but it seems like the extra power increase and lighter car will result in a pretty quick ride.

They've also revised the shifting (yes, still an automatic, but you can always get Brabus to fit a manual) for 50% quicker shifts then the already quicker sport mode, and the steering wheel now has paddles, rather then "buttons" to change gears.

As an MB fan, I say "it's about time MB makes a CSL (or Ferrari 360 CS) type car". Now if they could just make a manual gearbox that takes 400hp/600nm of punishment.

[Pehtren]

cool i like the slk its beautiful and you forgot about the bmw z4 M it will be going out soon :D

thanks :D

[Evo]

I never knew that if you wanted a manual Brabus is able to fit one for you.. Thanks for that bit of info..

And about the SLK55 with 400 HP.. I highly dought it would compete with the M3 CSL and farrari CS... But I hope I am wrong...

[Shinigami]

pehtren: I didn't forget about the Z4M. The Z4M was mentioned a week or two ago now ;)
However, the Z4M uses the old M3 engine with less power, less torque, and the 7G gearbox on the SLK is extremely quick. MB's time for the SLK is 4.9, BM's time for the Z4M is 5.0 (or was it 5.1?).

However, both of these times are concervative, and several people have drag tested the SLK at a time of as low as 4.2 for 0-60mph, so I don't think the Z4M would give all that much trouble to the SLK, and even less so for this newer version. But this is just speculation, I haven't driven the Z4M, so I don't know for sure ;)

Evo: What I meant by my CLS/CS comment was that the car is a 'tuned' version in-house from MB, for an existing car. With more hp and less weight. Both the M3 CLS and 360 CS are special versions of existing car with less weight and more power (and some other goodies). The SLK might not compete with them (unless the rumored 0-60 time of 3.9 seconds is true), but it shows MB is interested in starting their own line of 'tuned' products, possibly with a name of DTM (like the CLK DTM).

[Pehtren]

yes i know the specs for the z4M ...and i would rather bought a slk :D

i like bmw but in this case i would made an exception :D

[Shinigami]

Depends what one means by just a couple CF bits. Obviously it's not a full CF body. It's more cosmetic, which is a shame, as CF doesn't fit all cars all that well. Even in the CLS you don't really see CF, same for the CS (maybe behind the seats and doors). But that's pretty much where it ends, the CLS and CS are not made entirely of CF and neither is the SLK. But if the SLK does 0-60 in 3.9, it's faster then the CSL ;)

The doors however have quite a bit of CF (as can be seen from the pic) and there's the possibility to have CF side mirrors, air intakes and bits and pieces inside as well...

Talk of a CF airbox as well (which Renntech already makes) has been mentioned.

Ah well... I guess we shall see *shrug*

[Sir_GT]

The CF parts seem purely cosmetic. Roof, bonnet, and doors are still standard.

Let's face it, if they wanted to make a lightweight sports car, those would be the first parts they would convert into CF.

It's just an SLK55 with a "sport" upgrade. No biggie. And for around £65k total, not really that special for the price either.

[Erez]

..answer to the BMW M3 CSL & F360 CS?
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
it may as well have the SL65 engine.. that still wouldn't make it a CSL\CS rival.. its a Merc.. not a sports car.. unless they will strip the shit out of it (and no merc owner wants that..) and put some designated performance suspension and even stiffen up the chassis.. well you see where this is going.. its a cruiser.. maybe a good one.. might even be a great one.. but nothing more..

[Pehtren]

..answer to the BMW M3 CSL & F360 CS?
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
it may as well have the SL65 engine.. that still wouldn't make it a CSL\CS rival.. its a Merc.. not a sports car.. unless they will strip the shit out of it (and no merc owner wants that..) and put some designated performance suspension and even stiffen up the chassis.. well you see where this is going.. its a cruiser.. maybe a good one.. might even be a great one.. but nothing more..

i think if they want it to be competitive with m3 csl and 360cs they will,
but i think you have a point i dont imagine merc without the "heart", it just would not fit :?

[Shinigami]

Umm, the SLK chassis is already stiffer then that of a Modena... and there IS another performance package from MB called the nurburging package which replaces the brakes and springs with high performance ones.

The old 55 isn't much of a slouch to begin with, you do have to drive it first before you make accusations like this. I kept up with a Modena racing through the woods with the owner unable to shake me off his ass. Does this mean my springs and shocks were no good?

Are you also saying that because of a navigation system, the car is not sporty? What about the owners of Ferrari's and Lambo's that purchase their cars with Nav systems?

I don't think you guys quite understood what I was getting at. A CSL or CS is not entirely made of CF. They replace some bits with CF to lighten the car up or to make it look "better", and the same has gone into the SLK. Compare the door to that of a normal 55, and you'll see that a lot of stuff was removed.

The SLK has CF on the front apron, on the instrument panel/console, interior of the door and on the side mirrors.
An M3 CSL has some CF on front and rear apron, on the console, interior of the door and the roof.
A 360 CS also has CF on the doors, instrument panel/console, seats and some other structural areas such as the front bumper.

However, some bits of the SLK are not made of CF, such as the roof (which I think it should be), possibly because it needs to be solid and flexible at the same time (raising and lowering the roof is a completely different story).

What I did not mean in my post(s) was that the SLK is 'challenging' the CSL or CS. What I meant was that MB is giving it a go at making a CSL/CS type version of an existing car. i.e. a more stripped out version, lighter with more power. The current 55 has a dry weight of 1.4 tons. Rumor has it the weight has been reduced by another 100kilos. A CSL and CS both have an extra 10 or so hp over the standard version. The SLK has 40 extra HP.

Besides, the performance package version of the SLK will remove a lot of the 'gadgets' that MB puts into their cars. No heated seats or airscarf. No electric seats. etc... etc...

I hope I made myself a bit more clear this time ;)

[Erez]

yes dont get me wrong if merc wants to be competitive they sure as hell can! but it just not what merc do.. they make cruisers not sports cars.. so talking about them making a HARDcore one like the CSL.. pfffff.. not in our life time..

[Shinigami]

And a CLK DTM is not hardcore?

(admittedly, BMW removed a lot more in the M3 to make the CSL version, then MB will probably ever want to remove in any of their cars) ;)

[Erez]

1) my post was talking to pehtren ( ;) )
2) as for your post (yes you made it clear..) come on.. how many of those have you seen around? you know.. less then the CLK-GTR i bet :wink: anyways.. and i'm sure you can see my point here.. no merc owner got his merc for its handling or any other performance aspect.. (yeah they like to have looots of power and all.. but you know what i mean..) you buy a merc for the total package.. a "CSL" merc makes no sense.. hehehe anyways.. if you disagree thats fine.. i'm not getting into another BMW vs Merc argument ( :roll: some of you know what i'm talking about..) discussions are fine ;)

[Shinigami]

Oh, I'm not trying to counter point your argument, after all it's all about opinions. I bought my 55 because I like how it looks, because I like the convertible aspect and having a hard roof over my head when I need it, and because for what it's worth, the power and torque on hand is quite respectable, same for the handling. And finally, it has a lot of little things that make me happy, such as the ability to play MP3's off DVD's, watch DVD music, 11 HK speakers, seat heaters and airscarf, etc... etc...

I bought the SLK for the total package. Yes, cars exist that have more power, and yes, cars exist with more gadgets then this. But few cars exist that have a little bit of everything 'I' want ;)

There's been some moments when I've been very pleasantly surprised by my car and enjoy it to bits. There's even an owner who has a Modena and an SLK 55 who openly said that he preferred the SLK over the Modena. What do I think? Well, the Modena is a very different car, more raw and angry and I think if I could buy the SLK all over again, I might actually go for the Modena instead. But after a while, I might begin to long for the comfortable things on offer in the SLK...

It's all just relative, I think people should buy cars that make them happy :) Not cars which make it possible for them to 'prove' something to someone else. If you do that, you're becoming a slave to the machine.

btw: I didn't quite understand what you meeans by "how many of those have you seen around" ? I believe you were talking about the CLK? Seeing as the production is severely limited, it's not easy to see this car on the road. But demand for the car exists, so yes, there are some people who want an MB that is not all about comfort (although I would rather buy something else for that feeling of raw power).

[RC45]

Exactly like the M3 CSL - only slower, heavier and more expensive? ;)

[Shinigami]

Maybe :) I haven't driven this one, and I haven't driven the CSL. But according to stats (which may lie, as we all know ;) ) the following would happen:

The CSL does 0-60 in 4.8 seconds. The SLK (standard 55) has been recorded at 4.2. Rumors say 3.9 for the 400hp version.

Top speed of the CSL is 250kph (limited), the same for the SLK. However, you can get the 030 performance package which removes the limiter on the SLK (top speed according to my dealer is 300kph as shown in their DB).

The CSL weight is just short of 1.4 tons. The currentl 55 weighs just over 1.5 tons. With the special version of the SLK, the weight should drop within reach of the CSL.

and finally...

The price of the CSL in Swiss francs, is just over 120k. The price of the SLK is 102k. Add the performance package and you get the same price.

----------

Anyway, numbers are just numbers. I believe in driving a car to find out for yourself if it's the right thing for you :) Some people want power, others comfort, and so on... The SLK does it for me (for the moment). I'm still young and I want to believe that my future still holds automotive surprised (hopefully pleasant ones) in store ;)

[Pehtren]

. I'm still young and I want to believe that my future still holds automotive surprised (hopefully pleasant ones) in store ;)

:lol: me too

yes i think i understand you, this car will be just for track use, like csl or cs
... but i really could not imagine a mercedes without gadgets you must understand me i just dont :D
and i think erez thought the same 8)

and i think the standard slk 55 amg has 0-60 time of 4.9 seconds
:roll:
long time ago i stopped beliving this numbers

nice chat 8)

[martin100]

The original SLK55 is already insane but this is truly mad :shock: Mercedes goes even more crazy then before. I love it.

[Erez]

...But few cars exist that have a little bit of everything 'I' want ;)
i agree 110% and i know what you mean.. and its a great car in that aspect!

It's all just relative, I think people should buy cars that make them happy :) Not cars which make it possible for them to 'prove' something to someone else. If you do that, you're becoming a slave to the machine.
well i can live with that :lol: j\k :wink: again i agree.. you should and i'm with you i haven't said once other wise.. and i'm sure the SLK would make A LOT of people happy :wink: and I couldn't live with an "F40" like car daily.. (well the first few weeks would be great.. but after that it will make me go insane..) :wink:

btw: I didn't quite understand what you meeans by "how many of those have you seen around" ? I believe you were talking about the CLK? Seeing as the production is severely limited, it's not easy to see this car on the road. But demand for the car exists, so yes, there are some people who want an MB that is not all about comfort (although I would rather buy something else for that feeling of raw power).
yeah i was talking about the CLK.. and yeah that was my point merc buyers want the merc for it "mercins" if you know what i mean.. for a hardcore car i have ferrari poesche BMW and many many other cars before the mercs..

overall i agree with you 100% man.. other then saying its an answer to the CSL\CS.. :wink:

(BTW- i like my mercs Brabused 8) )

[ferrari550]

I like the slk55 amg a lot and this one even more. But i would still take a M3 CSL or a 430cs in a heartbeat.

thanks for the link

[Sir_GT]

Shinri: The SLK55 on it's own is an excellent car. Good car, right price. This however, is merely an upgrade package, and nothing more. They still did not replace the heaviest parts of the car with CF bits (roof, bonnet, and doors) which ultimately discredits this car as being in the same vein as the M3 CSL or the CS cars from Ferrari.

The CF bits and the minimalised doors on this SLK are merely ambience-enhancing cosmetic changes meant to make the owner feel "shportier".

As long as any car retains a heavy-as-a-tree torque-converter automatic, air-con, a radio, sat nav, electric windows, and other luxury bits, it's not a lightweight sports car. The roof especially, should be lightened, because it helps lower the car's centre of gravity. Hence the CF roof in the M3 CSL.

[Shinigami]

and i think the standard slk 55 amg has 0-60 time of 4.9 seconds
This is the time quoted by MB. MB is relatively concervative with their numbers. Drag strip times from members have shown that it 'can' do it in 4.2 if the conditions are just perfect. Most magazines etc have tested it at 4.5.

Being an Automatic, it's not too hard to get good launches, but it depends a lot on the surface of the road as well, since MB always puts relatively poor rims...

Sir_GT: I totally agree with you on that. MB probably will never try to take on Ferrari at their own game, never mind BMW who very much try to market their cars to the younger generation. I think MB doesn't really want to lose their current customers, so they'll continue to add automatics (a shame) and all the other gadgets they can. It's the kind of cars they sell. Whilst good for everyday use, one should get something a little bit more sporty if they want to have track fun ;) (and I have plans to buy a 360 myself one day).

Yes, I'm an MB fan, and I might get defensive when talking about the SLK, but I still like Ferrari, BMW, etc :P I'd have no problems if someone told me "sorry, you can't have your SLK anymore, instead you must drive this CLS or CS", I'd still have plenty of fun in either car ;)

[LotusGT1]

As long as Mercedes keeps producing cars with automatic gearboxes like they do now (and there is no single indication they will do otherwise in the future) they don't produce cars that are an option when you look for a real sportscar IMO.

[Sir_GT]

I think the phrase "Sporty GT" pretty much sums up almost every car in the MB-AMG range. Which, of course, isn't a bad thing at all. Just a different kind of target market.

I mean hey, if I had £55k to spend, I would get an SLK55 as well.

[sads]

I think this sounds like a great idea the SLK is one of the best looking Mercs around and to do a stripped out fast version is a great idea

[neilo63]

Very nice package, definatley would have to get it in black though.

[Ghostbat]

I think they should develop a double clutch gearbox, like Audi has, so that not fitting manuals would have a real point.

Work in progress..